A Contract Signed In Blood
by TacticianZephine
Summary: Betrayed by his gang, the betrayal led by his best friend, Ace makes a deal with the Devil so he can take revenge on the people who turned on him, and the city that pushed him down for so long. But, HIM has His own agenda.
1. Downsville

**R&R, please. I do not own Powerpuff Girls or any related characters. ****Except Ace's sisters and girlfriend. But the point still stands. ****Rating is subject to change. Right now, the worst thing is Ace's language.**

**I resubmitted the first two chapters because I'm cutting out Sevvi's overuse cutesy nicknames in favor of a new approach that really solidifies the type of character I'm creating for her.**

* * *

"_THAT FUCKING PRICK_!" Ace yelled, punching the bathroom door. He felt two knuckles crack, but ignored it. They'd heal up fine. "That goddamn motherfucking son of a _WHORE!_ How could he do this to me? We were friends, damn it! _WE WERE FRIENDS!_"

A gentle knock sounded on the other side of the door. Then, a quiet female voice piped up worriedly. "Ace...?" she said softly.

Ace let his voice soften before he spoke again to her. "Hey, princess. When did you get home?"

"Five minutes ago... are you okay? Why are you shouting?"

"Don't worry about a thing. ... I know. Let's get Chinese. You want Chinese? Let's get Chinese. And let's watch _Edward Scissorhands_. You wanna watch _Edward Scissorhands_?"

"Okay!"

Ace could almost envision her: the tiny, pixie-like girl, her hands clasped together in front of her chest, her green eyes wide behind her black-framed glasses, and her mouth stretched in an impossibly wide smile, showing off her little white teeth as she bounced up and down like a chihuahua. He unlocked the door, capturing her and picking her up, tossing her over his shoulder.

"Eeep!" she whined. "Put me dooooowwwn!"

"Nope," Ace smirked, tightening his grip on her and taking her to the kitchen. He put her on the counter and chuckled a little at her vain attempts to touch the floor.

**  
That night, in bed, Ace stared at the ceiling. He barely paid any mind to the small figure that was nuzzling into his side.

_Fucker,_ Ace thought bitterly, envisioning Snake. _Filthy, greasy, slimy sonofabitch. I'll teach them to turn their backs on me. Set me up._

"Greasy bastard," he muttered aloud. "Goddamn slimy fucker."

The body beside him shifted. "Ace?" she asked sleepily.

Ace looked down at her. "Sorry, dollface. I was talking to myself. Go on back to sleep."

"No," she pouted, laying her head on his chest. "Talk."

He sighed. "Snake set me up, babydoll. He sabotaged a drug deal and fixed it so a little kid got shot. His sister. His own damn sister. She's dead, because he decided it would be more productive to scream at me. And he was so quick to call it on me, I know he set it up. He always tells Ivy where not to be when something goes down, like I do for Lexie, Tessie, Molly and Desiree. The boys turned against me, Sev. They blame me for it. Say it's my fault. But it's not. It's not. I'll show them, you mark my words. I'll teach them a little something about loyalty."

His yellow eyes took on a maddened, wild twinkle in the darkness of the bedroom. His breathing quickened as his thoughts became more and more frenzied.

"Hell, why just the boys? This whole damn city's been pushing us down. They all deserve to die for the way they've treated the working-class crimminal."

"What are you saying?" the girl said quietly.

"Miss McLein, I am saying, plain and simple, that Townsville is going down."


	2. Who Better?

Ace looked over his list of possible allies, and sighed. Either none of them _would_ help him out, or none of them _could_ help him out. How were _none_ of the villains in Townsville at all capable?

The monkey was an annoyance, the rich kid was a spoiled brat, the pink guy was a neanderthal, those three mutant boys were immature, the broad with the makeup was scary, the clown/mime dude just mimicked you when you talked to him, or he made fun of you, depending on who he decided to be that day, the three Anti-Puffs or whatever were useless, that family might have worked if the mother wasn't such a ditz, those overgrown germs were incompetant, the creepy lesbian couldn't be bothered, and the hot chick in the underwear...

Well, Ace didn't like to think about her. That was a dark time in his life.

Suddenly, one name, one face that had evaded him, popped into his mind, and he smirked. Yes, that was the one he needed. The perfect ally. How could he have neglected to remember _him_?

"When looking for revenge..." Ace grinned. "It would only make sense to go to the Devil Himself."

"Did you say something?" Sev asked from the bedroom.

"Not a thing," Ace called back. He pulled his faded, dark green denim jacket off of its rack behind the door, looking down at himself. Gray t-shirt, black jeans, and ratty old trainers.

What was one supposed to wear to meet His Infernal Majesty, anyway?

Ace walked down the hallway, coming into the bedroom and going to the dresser. Sev was in front of the closet, putting different outfits together and trying different things on to see what looked good.

"Puddin'?" she asked curiously.

"I need to get dressed. And, um, I gotta run out real quick, but I'll be back in time to pick you up for dinner."

"Okay," She turned in front of the mirror and looked at herself over her shoulder, checking out how the black netty skirt looked from behind. "I think I like this skirt," she bubbled, looking herself over approvingly.

"You look good in everything, princess." Ace tugged a white t-shirt on, tucking it into his blue jeans and fastening his belt. He pulled on a white Oxford shirt and left it unbuttoned, cuffing it at the elbows. He went over to his girlfriend.

"You take your medicine before I get back," he said sternly, but with a smile, pulling her against himself and kissing her. "I've gotta go talk to someone ASAP. Be right back."

"Okay."

Ace grabbed his jacket and walked out. Once he hit the street, he pulled his jacket on and climbed onto his Ducati, kicking it to life and speeding off down the street.

Now, where was he supposed to find this guy? Surely the manifestation of ultimate and pure evil wouldn't just be hanging out in the back VIP room of a nightclub...

Would he?


	3. Demonia

_TEENAGE ANARCHY_  
_TEENAGE ANARCHY_

Ace cringed every time the singer belted out. He usually loved clubs like this, he usually felt right at home in the company of blaring music, usually techno, smoke from foggers, cigarettes, joints, and any other random causes, and skimpily-dressed girls. Granted, all of these girls looked like animals, but it was to be expected. But right now, he was nervous. His palms were clammy, and he nervously attempted to dry what he thought was sweat off of them.

He'd walked into a club called _Demonia_, what did he expect? All of the patrons who weren't him looked like they could be demons, not to mention the staff. Well, at least this was a good place to start. His next problem was talking to staff to see if they knew HIM.

The waitresses were out of the question, as was the DJ, so Ace looked over the bar staff. Two of the demons looked like wild pigs, hair and all, with black mohawks and red eyes, and the other one was a female. She looked like a dog of some sort, just without the hair. A Doberman, maybe.

He walked up to her and leaned on the counter. "Hey, sweetness," he said charmingly. "I'm lookin' for someone, think ya can help me?"

She held out her hand, palm up, and wiggled her fingers. "For the right price, I could know where to find them," she smirked.

He pulled out his wallet. He had eight hundred bucks on him, in fifties, and pulled out four of them, holding them up. "This is probably more than you get in tips in a night," he said, gauging the clientele. "I bet this crowd doesn't tip well."

"No, they don't." She looked over the two hundred. "Make it two-fifty, and it's a deal."

Ace handed her another fifty. "You know the deal," he nodded approvingly. "I'm looking for the big guy. HIM."

She nodded once. "Isn't everyone? What're you, then? LaVeyan, Palladist, Luciferian, Casual, Symbolic, Independant, what?" At his blank look, she rolled her eyes. "Satanism. You a Satanist?"

"No. I need to see HIM about a... business matter."

"Okay. In the back."

He handed her an extra fifty. "Thanks, girly."

**  
Ace peered into the back room. HIM was lounging on a coffin-shaped couch, nursing a drink, with two hooker-looking demon girls on either side, all four twittering and giggling. Two blondes and two brunettes. They all looked like human-bat hybrids, all with pink eyes.

"You sure can pick 'em," Ace snarked, leaning on the doorframe.

The bat-demons rose to their feet and formed a circle around their Master, their eyes turning red, their teeth becoming fangs, and their faces turning from beautiful to ugly and scaly as they hissed.

"_Ladies_," HIM said in his calm falsetto. "Why don't you go out and... entertain the guests on the main floor, hm?"

"But _Masssssterrrr_," they whined in unison. "You _proooomisssssed_."

"Just let me talk business first, my _lovelies_," HIM cooed to them, petting each of them under the chin with the tip of His claw.

Their eyes softened back to pink, and their faces lost their scales. They flounced out on their porn star heels, their tutus swishing behind them. Their wings folded down innocently.

HIM looked at Ace. "And what do you want?"

"I've got a favor to ask. I need power, power only you can provide."

"To do what with?" HIM cocked an eyebrow.

"I wanna destroy this shithole city," Ace said, unconsciously snarling the words.

HIM said nothing for a minute, then he whistled sharply. A small toadish demon materialized in a puff of puke-green smoke. HIM spoke to this one first. "Bring back the usual and two glasses."

After the toad-demon reappeared with a bottle, an ice bucket, and two glasses, HIM sent him away and gestured for Ace to sit down. HE poured them both a drink, and leaned back onto the couch.

"Now. Impress me."


	4. Business Transaction

**I need to plan this whole thing better.**

* * *

By the time Ace had finished describing his plan, they were on their third bottle of booze, neither even feeling tipsy. Ace wasn't sure what kind of liquor it was, but it tasted like vodka.

HIM had set his glass down and tapping the tips of his claws together, intrigued. "You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?"

"Yessir," Ace nodded. "I have. That's why we were so successful as a gang. I plan."

"Well, then." HIM seemed to consider Ace for a moment, tilting his head, sizing him up, doing whatever demonish things he did to a person while looking at them. "I've decided that I admire your ambition. And I've decided to help you."

Ace blinked, then shook his head. "Even though that's what I was hoping for, I'm a little skeptical. What's the catch?"

"Ah, yes, the catch. Well, you see, I'm something of a... hm... let's say... an amateur supernatural scientist, and I'd like to try an experiment. I'd like to see if a mortal can handle transferred supernatural power. I've been looking for a willing volunteer. Are you sure you're interested?"

"Sort of an 'I scratch your back, you scratch my back'-type deal, am I right?"

"Precisely, yes." HIM poured himself another drink, holding the bottle out to offer the same to Ace, who declined. The demon shrugged, taking a sip of his drink.

"Now, about your plan. I have only a few small remarks. You can't just destroy the Powerpuff Girls, you know. You have to first eliminate all obstacles between you and that goal. I can do that much for you. To avoid the suspicion of the public, though, it will take a substantial amount of time. In terms of destroying the Girls themselves, however, I must stress that it is important to make sure the path is clear, because many, many crimminals want the pleasure of dispatching the Powerpuff Girls."

"I know how to do it, but I can't do it myself. I can tell you how to take them down. I don't care if I don't get recognized for destroying the Powerpuff Girls. That can belong to you."

HIM smirked. "If that's what you'd prefer, I can do that. Just give me the information."

"I'll write it up and bring it here tomorrow, it's easier to explain on paper." Ace stood. "I should go. I've got a date..." He checked his watch. "... five minutes ago. Wonderful. She's probably sitting on one of the couches down in the lobby. Shit."

"I'll be in touch." HIM dismissed him with a wave of his claw. "Enjoy your evening. And I do mean _enjoy_. Do me a favor, and send my girls back in on your way out. We have our own night planned," he winked.

Ace went a little greener than usual at the thought, and ambled out, waving the demon hookers back into the VIP room.


	5. You, Sir

**Okay, I will devote some attention to this fic, since I was really excited to do it.**

* * *

It was a month or so later when Ace next encountered HIM. It had been shortly after a bizzare string of deaths.

A week after Ace and HIM's initial meeting, Fuzzy Lumpkins was found in his cabin. It had been a group of teenage kids that had come up to explore the area that had discovered the body. He'd been there for about three days, it seemed. He'd choked to death on a piece of raw meat.

Four days after Fuzzy, people in the park had been complaining of a weird odor. Later investigation revealed Mojo Jojo, having fallen asleep, had drowned in his bath. He'd been there longer than Fuzzy.

And just yesterday, Femme Fatale had been found in her apartment. She'd fallen and cracked her head on her kitchen counter while making a sandwich.

**  
Ace was trying to focus on Sev talking about her day, he really was, but he really didn't care much about _A Day In The Life of A Drama and Musical Theater Major_ right now. It was mostly due, however, to the presence of one of HIM's demonic hookers.

It was one of the blondes, in a pink fishnet dress and thigh-high pink hooker boots, and she was waving coyly to him from where she was seated atop an empty table.

Ace looked away from her, focusing on Sev's necklace. The skull cameo grinned back at him.

The demons weren't having any of that. The other three materialized in the exact same ensemble, and all three began twittering obnoxiously and jumping around, waving at him. Eventually, they realized that Ace wasn't looking, and tried a different approach. Each blonde grabbed a brunette and began kissing her roughly.

Ace glanced up when the movement stopped, and proceeded to grip the table. Sevvi stopped talking, and raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm f... fine."

She started to turn to see what was behind her, but Ace intervened. "SO, um, what happened during rehersal today?"

"Oh, it was the funniest thing! So Jake says 'we're not actually gonna _show_ her falling out of the tree, are we?' and Max says 'why not?' So there I am, knowing they mean me, and freaking out-"

Ace was again distracted by the appearance of HIM himself. He waved to Ace from across the restaurant, trying to get him to come over to him. Ace shook his head violently. More insistent waving, and he began mouthing "no" over his girlfriend's shoulder. And, again, Sev noticed.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"What?" He looked at her. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, babe, I'm just a little zoned."

"... We can go home if you're not feeling well..."

"No, no, no, I've been promising to bring you here for a month, and you got all dressed up, we're staying. Go on, what about Max being a psycho?"

HIM got fed up trying to get Ace's attention that way, and actually walked up to the table, leaning his elbows on Ace's shoulders and resting his chin on his head. Ace pushed HIM off of him with a wild flail, and Sev stopped talking once more. "Are you sure you don't want to go home?"

"I'm sure. Look, baby, I'll be right back, okay?" Ace grabbed HIM's wrist and pulled him toward the men's room, tossing him inside and then following himself. "What the hell is wrong with you? You can't fucking wait for me to be not busy? Real asshole move!"

A toilet flushed. A fat, older man waddled out of one of the stalls, looking at Ace and HIM strangely.

Ace noticed him and jerked his thumb at HIM. "Sorry, my friend and I are having a little bit of a financial argument."

The fat man cocked an eyebrow, but hurried out of the restroom quickly, without even washing his hands.

Ace glared at HIM. "You see the way people look at me when you're with me? I'm lucky Sev can't see when she has contacts in!"

"... You do realize you're the only one who can see me, right?" HIM asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or my girls?"

"... You, sir, are an asshole."


	6. Is There Something Wrong With You?

In the two months following, more TownsVillains had bitten the dust: The Rowdyruff Boys, the Smiths, Mr. Mime, Mask Scara, and the Powerpunk Girls. All that was left were the Amoeba Boys, Princess Morbucks, Sedusa and the Powerpuff Girls themselves.

Ace was awakened by the sensation that someone was pulling on his arm. He opened his eyes drowsily and looked toward the source, a little surprised to see that his arm was actually being pulled.

Sev was paler than normal, her emerald eyes wide and terrified and her red hair a mess. She was shivering worse than a cold Chihuahua.

"Sev, wha'sa matter?" he slurred.

"There's someone in the living room," she whispered, frightened.

Ace pushed himself up, looked over at her. "Be right back," he promised, ruffling her hair.

She nodded, taking refuge under the blankets.

Ace wandered out into the living room, looking around carefully. He spotted a familiar sillhouette, and groaned. "Why're you in my living room?"

"I need you for a couple minutes," the demon's voice said.

"Why?"

"Because. Now go get dressed. Wear black."

"You scare my woman half to death, and then you kidnap me. Is there, like, something _wrong_ with you I should know about?"

"Go. Tell her you need to go do something. Go on."

Ace sighed irritably, but retreated to the bedroom. When Sev poked her head up out of the blankets, she tilted her head at him, remaining silent. Ace pulled on black jeans and a black t-shirt, looking back at her.

When he finished dressing, he crossed the room to her, kissing her forehead. "I've gotta run out, okay?"

"No," she whimpered, clinging to him.

He kissed her again. "Daddy's gonna be right back," he nodded. "Promise."

She finally nodded fearfully, letting go.

Ace pulled open the drawer to his nightstand, pulling out something, and handing it to her. "Here. If you hear anymore noises in the living room, take this with you, okay? That make you feel better?"

Sev nodded, taking it and putting it on her nightstand. Ace kissed her forehead. "There's my good girl. Alright, I'll wake you up when I get back, okay?"

She nodded quietly.

"Good girl," he told her again. "You go on back to sleep, baby girl. I'll be back soon."

As soon as Sevvi had gone back to sleep, Ace slipped quietly out of the room, glaing at HIM. "Alright, what do you need me for?"

HIM offered out his arm. "Hang on tight, cowboy," he grinned.

Ace took his arm questioningly, and they vanished in a small burst of flame.


	7. Nothing Bad Happens In A Blanket Fort

**Lookit, I did a thing.**

* * *

It turned out that Ace had been kidnapped for the first of what were to be many rituals performed to transfer HIM's power into Ace's body. He returned home feeling oddly energized, but drained at the same time. It was storming by that time.

He slipped into the bedroom quietly, almost certain that Sevvi had gone back to sleep, but froze in his tracks when he spotted a small structure in the corner. It appeared that, rather than sleep, his girlfriend had decided that constructing a fort out of blankets, pillows, and his desk would be a more productive use of time.

He shook his head a little, crouching beside the fort and peering in. Sevvi was curled up in a crude blanket nest, on her laptop. He chuckled quietly, slipping in behind her and looked over her shoulder. She was Tumbling, so she was sufficiently distracted. He took that opportunity to pounce on her.

She squeaked as he pulled her into his lap and nuzzled her neck. "I've caputred you," he smirked.

She pouted. "You scared me, you butt."

"Aww, I'm sorry, babydoll." He nuzzled her again. "What's with the fort?"

"I got scared, so I built a blanket fort. Nothing bad ever happens in a blanket fort."

Ace rolled his eyes at her logic, but let go of her. "Fair enough. Are you going to join me in bed, or sleep in the blanket fort?"

She looked up at him cutely. "_You_ could join _me_ in the _fort_..."

He ruffled her hair. "All right, but we're actually sleeping. Tumblr can wait until morning."

"'Kay," she nodded, hibernating her laptop.

He curled up in the nest and wrapped his arms around her.

"... You're still a butt," she yawned, burying her face in his chest.


End file.
